Amrita Hospital, Kochi, has achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of respiratory care by successfully performing Kerala's first 'Biodegradable Airway Stenting.' With this feat, Amrita Hospital becomes the first center in Kerala and the third in India to adopt this advanced procedure for treating post-tuberculosis bronchial stenosis (blockage in the airway following TB).

The achievement was led by the Division of Interventional Pulmonology and Complex Airway Disorders. The complex bronchoscopic procedure, lasting eight hours, was performed on two young women suffering from severe airway obstruction, successfully restoring their normal breathing. The specialty of these stents is that they dissolve naturally within the body after a specific period once the airway obstruction is cleared. This innovation helps patients avoid the need for further surgeries in the future.

Dr. Tinku Joseph, Head of Interventional Pulmonology at Amrita Hospital, Kochi, stated that this rare achievement was made possible through the coordination of expert doctors and state-of-the-art technology. Dr. Don Jose and Dr. Sreeraj Nair were also part of the surgical team. Dr. Tinku Joseph added that biodegradable airway stenting is highly effective for post-TB airway narrowing, chronic cough, phlegm accumulation, breathlessness, and other similar airway obstructions.